Arriving steps

I have never flew out of the country before and will be arriving with a group of people for our wedding in March. Can someone go over the landing, customs and transportation situation to me please. I like to know that kind of stuff ahead of time.

First of all, make sure to have an ink pen with you on the plane because they will give you an immigration/customs form to fill out during the flight & they never have pens. Also, make sure to fill out the entire form .... there is a section at the bottom for your departure info that they will tear off when you go through immigration & you will need that when you leave. When you get off the plane, just follow the line of people going to immigration. After that, you go to pick up your checked bags & then on through customs. After that, you are ready to head to the Couples Lounge. There are people to direct you but it's a small area & super easy to find. When you approach the lounge, someone will come to take your bags & have you go on to the desk to let them know you're there. They will then give you stubs for each of your bags they are holding just outside the lounge & you can get a complimentary drink at the bar & use the restroom while waiting on them to call you for your shuttle. Make sure your bags go to the shuttle with you .... They will have a porter take them & he will expect $1 per bag. Then you're on your way. When you arrive at the resort, you will tip your driver & they will bring the paperwork for checking in to you so just relax & sip your champagne. Enjoy!!!!

Mid-flight you will receive a Customs Declaration sheet to complete prior to landing. You will land, depart the plan and follow people until you come to the customs line. We've been there 2 times and each time it did not take more than 15-20 minutes to see an agent, get stamped and told to proceed to luggage claim. From there you claim your luggage, and go through another line where you give them the sheet the other agent signed. You then walk into the arrival area and will make your way to the Couples lounge. They will ticket your bags and invite you in. Once you give them your name, you can grab a Red Stripe or soda from the bar. Once the arrivals have settled, they will have transportation get you (typically have not waited more than 20-30 minutes) and lead you to a van. CTI/CSS takes about 90 minutes or so and CSA/CN take 60 minutes depending on traffic.

Just a tip... Pack some shorts, t-shirt or tank top, and light foot wear like sandals on top in your carry-on. That is, if you are wearing winter clothes - depends where you are coming from That way when you get there you can change in the washroom at the Couples lounge. Last time we didn't get much time, as they were shuffling us off to the shuttle bus right away. So I was glad it was handy for a quick change. It's a bit of a trip on the bus, and while there is A/C, it's nice to get right into summer attire, especially if you do stop for a break along the way.

Great explanations from everyone. We've experienced long lines at immigration a couple of times we've gone. I think its fun to people watch when that situation comes up! (Never had to wait more than 45 minutes though. Once we were through in less than 2 minutes.)

Just a tip... Pack some shorts, t-shirt or tank top, and light foot wear like sandals on top in your carry-on. That is, if you are wearing winter clothes - depends where you are coming from That way when you get there you can change in the washroom at the Couples lounge. Last time we didn't get much time, as they were shuffling us off to the shuttle bus right away. So I was glad it was handy for a quick change. It's a bit of a trip on the bus, and while there is A/C, it's nice to get right into summer attire, especially if you do stop for a break along the way.

Better idea, in my opinion, is to wear your shorts and t-shirt underneath you travellin clothes, so people can use the washroom at the Couples Lounge for it's intended purpose.
Cheers!
Deputy

I've gotten to the point now that I just get dressed in my shorts, sandals and tee before I even hit the airport. Sure, you may freeze your butt off going from the car to the airport but isn't it all worth it??? Enjoy your trip folks!!

Attached is a link to go print a copy of the immigration form. You can fill this sample out ahead of time and just copy it over to the original on the plane. This helps organize the filling out of the form with flight numbers, resort info, etc without searching through all your paperwork on the plane.

Thank you msbeachbum22 for the link! I was looking over the form and have a question on filling it out. My fiancé and I will be getting Married and July and we are traveling to CSA in August for our Honeymoon. I am not going to change my last name till I return so I don't have to go through the hassle and worry of changing my passport. So should I fill out the Immigration/custom form as if I were still single or married? I would assume to continue to use my current last name so all documents match.
Thanks in advance on the advice!!

I've gotten to the point now that I just get dressed in my shorts, sandals and tee before I even hit the airport. Sure, you may freeze your butt off going from the car to the airport but isn't it all worth it??? Enjoy your trip folks!!

We wear convertible pants from LLBean. They start off as long pants until you unzip and remove the lower leg portion. We also wear lightweight shirts and then winter jackets from LLBean that compress to the size of a large pair and are stowed in their own self-contained pouch. We stay comfortably warm, and when we're ready (before we land), we remove the jackets and lower portions of the pant legs and stow them in our luggage. We didn't freeze, and we're in shorts and t-shirts without leaving our seats.

Great!! Thank you for the help/info!! I am flying in on a Saturday morning, and I would hate to have to wait longer in the Immigration line due to checking the wrong box!! I want to get to the resort as soon as possible and start our vacation!! Counting down to August!!

Arriving in paradise - On the plane as you approach Jamaica, you'll be given a Customs form and an Immigration form. Make sure to have your passports and 2 pens in your carry-on. No matter what the flight attendant says, you will EACH need to fill both of them out. It used to be that for Customs, only one form per Family/Last Name needed to be filled out. However, Jamaica has changed this and at least when we were there last May, the change hadn't gotten back to the flight attendants so there was a wait in customs while everyone filled out an extra form.

Once you get off the plane you'll first be routed to Immigration. Depending on the time and day, it could be a 15 minute wait or an hour wait to clear immigration. Once you pass this, then you will head to Baggage Claim. By the time you get here, chances are your bags will have already been taken off of the carousel and will be sitting next to it. Find your bags and then head to Customs. Go to the Nothing to Declare line and once through, you're home free!! Keep heading to the Airport Exit and you will see the Couples Lounge.

How did you book your trip? Because if you booked with a tour company, like Apple, you may have to stop and see one of their agents first. If not, just ignore everyone and head straight for the lounge. I've attached a pic of the lounge. Once at the Lounge, you will check in at the desk, they will mark your luggage for your resort, then you are all set! Belly up to the bar for a drink, use the bathroom, have a seat...but don't get too comfortable - the longest we've ever waited for a bus was about ten minutes - barely long enough to finish a drink. Oh and definitely order a Shandy - half beer, half Ting - very refreshing!

When the bus is ready, they will yell for your resort and baggage handlers will take your bags and load them on the bus. These are NOT Couples employees so have some cash ready to tip - a couple of bucks a bag. A good idea is to take lots of small bills (one and fives) and keep them in a pocket separate from your other money. The last thing you want is for the baggage handler to see you sorting through 20 dollar bills only to give him a couple of ones. Also, DO NOT EXCHANGE FOR JAMAICAN MONEY AND DO NOT USE TRAVELERS CHECKS. All places take Credit or US Dollars. Load the bus and then sit back and relax. You'll make a pit stop halfway through the ride for a potty break or more drinks. Depending on which resort, the drive is anywhere from and hour and a half to two hours.

When you arrive, tip your driver. We tip around $20 depending on how engaging he is during the drive. But then Couples staff will get your bags off of the bus and your tipping is not allowed. You will be greeted with a drink and a cool towel while you get checked in then will be taken to your room.

Attached is a link to go print a copy of the immigration form. You can fill this sample out ahead of time and just copy it over to the original on the plane. This helps organize the filling out of the form with flight numbers, resort info, etc without searching through all your paperwork on the plane.